The Effect Of Water Fog System On The Outbreak Of Fire Essay

At the time of the MGM Grand Fire, it was not required that fire department personnel had to be part of the building construction plan review process. The fire department is now largely involved in the construction and plan review process before a building is built. Also, construction materials used are more fire resistant. Ventilation systems have also been improved, and are very helpful in removing the smoke, rather than allowing it to make its way to upper floors of a high rise structure, which was a large cause of loss of life in the MGM Grand fire due to smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning.

There is quite a debate when it comes to the idea of controlled fires to protect nature. Many agree that the benefits out way the risks but many also believe that a controlled fire is too dangerous to take that chance. If proper steps are taken, the outcome of the process is not only safe but also effective.

The department decided to investigate this particular topic to determine which nozzle would be more beneficial when a firefighter is in a burning commercial structure. The smooth bore shoots out more water per second but at a straight stream. The combination nozzle shoots out more water droplets at a wider stream. Both processes are functional when putting out a fire. However, the combination nozzle can act as a barrier or wall against flames and smoke because it shoots at such a wide pattern. At the same time because the combination nozzle system shoots out water droplets, the droplets produce steam. The steam that is now present is more harmful to firefighters, which can be prevented by keeping the smooth bore nozzle in place.

In 2003, possibly one of the worst wildfires in California’s history occurred. This fire, referred to as the Cedar Fire, spread across 273,246 acres.

The fire escape became more than an emergency exit in a burning building. It is used for everything from outdoor to dining to sleeping and gardening, opening up the home to the surrounding city like a “porch in the sky” or “private get-away”.

The most common source of heat for the purpose of firefighting comes from chemical reactions. When something burns, it is the result of a chemical reaction where heat is being released. Pyrolysis is the "decomposition or transformation of a compound caused by heat."(Coleman, et al. 81)

For years if not decades, firefighters have responded to a reported structure fire that turned out to be a fully involved single room. This fire scenario requires a core set of fire tactics and skills to control and extinguished the fire, but is it this simple? Perhaps twenty years it may have been, but new dangers are lurking in every scenario and may have detrimental outcomes for unsuspecting and unaware firefighters and victims. The National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) agency along with the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) have been conducting research to understand fire behavior and fire dynamics. This research is providing firefighters with new information about how and why

Keywords: Howard Street Tunnel fire, hazardous material, Incident Command System, Incident Commander, Span of Command, Command and control process

A fire truck also known as a fire apparatus, fire engine, or fire appliance, is a specific vehicle designed primarily for firefighting. Many organizations employ fire engines for various other uses including EMS, hazmat, auto extrication and technical rescue. Its main roles include transporting firefighters, along with a supply of water and a full complement of equipment. The fire truck the early times fires were put out by throwing buckets of water into the fire, but the dangers and the slow process made this method not last long before a new invention took over, the hand pump (Betts). However, just like he buckets this method didn’t last long before the first fire engine was invented in the early 1800’s. The first fire engines were usually

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, Wildfire means “a sweeping and destructive conflagration esp. in a wilderness or a rural area.” Also according to the same dictionary, wilderness means “a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings.” Forest Fires happen when there is a drought because branches and twigs die and dry out creating plenty of fuel for a fire. According to the NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center) there are about 105,534 wildfires that occur each year.

On the actual day of the fire, the fire planners will again check such conditions as wind and moisture content in the vegetation. The wind direction will determine where the fire is started. Fire crews start the burn with a device called a drip torch. A drip torch is a can of fuel with a flame-carrying wick at the end. When the crewmember tilts the wick toward the ground, a flame streams out and ignites the vegetation. Most of the effort that goes into a prescribed fire is making sure that it is contained in the boundaries set for the fire. Firefighters and fire suppression equipment are near the site if the fire grows out of control (www.nps.gov/wica/fir-why.html, pgs. 1-3).

Within the United States there are five different types of construction. Firefighters need to know and understand each of them. Every construction type have fire resistant weaknesses, these weaknesses will result in fire spreading in the building. If firefighters understand how the fire will spread, then understand how to extinguish the fire faster and more importantly firefighters are better protected from injuries or worse. In America all buildings are associated with one of the types of construction, identified by Roman number. The building codes are, fire resistant (type I), combustible (type II), ordinary construction (type III), heavy-timber construction (type IV) and wood-frame construction (type V). It is important to remember that all buildings are not the same. Each different building construction type will burn much differently than the others do. In order to be able to size-up a building 's fire hazard, firefighters need to be able to understand a buildings contents and construction. Materials that are stored inside of the building and also materials used to construct the building will both fuel the fire. Also know that if a structure is vacant or if the contents in the building are not combustible, the main fire hazard is the building. The scale of the construction types are scaled according to the fire load of combustible material that was used for its construction. A fire resistant building is constructed with least amount of combustible materials, and a

Fire is explained in a tetrahedron of necessary requirements a fire needs before it is able to spring to life. First, is sufficient fuel. Different types of fuel coincide with different types of terrain. In dry, sparse areas, dead grass and shrubs provide the best fuel. In lush, green forests, pine needles, leaves, twigs, and other such things typically underfoot makes for the best fuel . Second, is an oxidizing agent. This could be the oxygen

Although the automatic sprinkler system is the most widely used type of fire protection system, it does have its limitations and uses inside certain building types. As previously stated, it is generally used in commercial buildings. This is because there are usually no special hazardous materials in these buildings, or any large quantity of materials that would react negatively with the application of water. It is installed in buildings such as hospitals, schools, and office buildings for life safety first, then building preservation. Since a proper functioning sprinkler system will reduce the fire size and prevent its spread, it will allow for more time of evacuation for these buildings. This is especially useful in hospitals and nursing home settings where there may be a large number of

In order to evaluate common fire hazards within a building and the risks presented by these, it is essential to have an understanding of where fires start, and what causes them in varying occupancy types. The best process to fulfil this aim is to review existing statistical data. Existing data is a vital tool in analysing areas or functions of a building which have the greatest risk to occupants. In particular, those functions or areas of a building having higher fatality rates historically in buildings of a similar type should be treated with special consideration (i.e. Class 2, Kitchen). It is important to be familiar with these statistics as they play a key role in predicting outcomes of future fires. Using this knowledge, fire safety engineers can identify patterns and high risk factors; and apply appropriate building fire safety systems in an attempt to reduce fire